It may be time to cut back on coffee before pregnancy...

An new study from the National Institutes of Health suggests that the morning pilgrimage to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts or your favorite coffee may not be such a good idea, at least if you or your partner are trying to get pregnant. In the past, it was thought that small amounts of caffeine intake were not an issue, but researchers have now found that the as little as 2 drinks a day may almost double the risk of a pregnancy ending in miscarriage. Furthermore, this risk was present not just during pregnancy but when a woman drinks caffeinated beverages even several months before conception, and was even true when the male partner consumes caffeinated drinks. The risk of miscarriage was just as high when the male partner used caffeine.

So, does that mean caffeine causes miscarriages?

Not necessarily. The study was small so this could just be a statistical fluke and it is quite possible that people who drink more coffee have other unrelated issues that make them more prone to miscarriage. Still, prudence would suggest avoiding caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and soda are a good idea when planning pregnancy.

But, there is a bright side to the study...Vitamins.

It turns out that women who took multivitamins actually had a lower miscarriage risk, by about 50 %.